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A suicide bombing at a Shi’ite Mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, has killed at least 31 people, local authorities said, with more than 130 wounded-a stark reminder of the ongoing security challenges facing the nation.
City officials confirmed that “31 people were killed in the blast” at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul kubra mosque in the Tarlai area, on the outskirts of islamabad.
A senior police official, speaking anonymously, stated the explosion occurred after morning prayers, a time when mosques across the country are typically full of worshippers. The official added that the casualty toll was “expected to rise further.”
A security source revealed that the attacker was intercepted at the mosque gate and detonated explosives. AFP journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital witnessed a harrowing scene, with adults and children arriving on stretchers and being carried by arms and legs.
Medics and bystanders worked urgently to unload victims from ambulances and vehicles; at least one casualty was brought in the trunk of a car. Armed security forces were observed outside the mosque, and yellow crime scene tape cordoned off an examination area littered with shoes, clothing, and shattered glass.
Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to show bodies near the mosque’s entrance and debris scattered across the prayer hall’s red carpet.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast, vowing to bring those responsible to justice. Deputy Prime Minister ishaq Dar labeled the attack “a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles.”
“Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms,” Dar added in a post on X.
no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurs amid escalating insurgencies in Pakistan’s southern and northern provinces bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan,a Sunni-majority nation,has a Shi’ite population of between 10-15 percent,which has historically been targeted in regional attacks.
Growing Insurgencies
Islamabad alleges that separatist groups in Balochistan and the pakistani Taliban, along with other Islamist militants in khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, utilize Afghan territory as a safe haven for launching attacks. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has consistently denied these accusations, leading to a deterioration in bilateral relations and frequent clashes along the border.
In November, when a suicide blast near a court killed 12 people and injured many others-the first such incident in the capital in nearly three years.
Recent attacks in southern Balochistan, claimed by separatist insurgents, resulted in the deaths of 36 civilians and 22 security personnel last week. These attacks prompted counteroperations where authorities reported killing almost 200 militants.
Why did this happen? The attack is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence linked to insurgencies in Pakistan’s southern and northern provinces. Islamabad accuses groups in Balochistan and the Pakistani Taliban of using Afghan territory as a safe haven.
Who was responsible? No group has claimed responsibility as of yet. Though, the attack targets the Shi’ite community, which has historically been targeted by extremist groups in Pakistan.
What happened? A suicide bomber detonated explosives at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in Islamabad after morning prayers,
